A new way to stock salmon

EAST MACHIAS, Maine (NEWS CENTER)-- Back in 2000, Atlantic Salmon were put on the endangered species list. For years people have been trying to find ways to increase the salmon population. Now the Downeast Salmon Federation is working with several groups to try and do just that.

At the East Machias Aquatic Research Center people from the Downeast Salmon Federation have been trying to produce a healthier baby salmon, which are called 'parr.'

One of the people helping out is fisheries consultant Peter Gray who has worked on other salmon reproduction projects in Europe.

Gray said it is important to keep parr constantly swimming so they can build up more muscle before they are released into the river.

Around 2,000 parr will be released into the East Machias River on Friday and Gray said if everything goes as planned, researchers could start seeing the salmon they stocked come back.

"If everything goes according to plan we should see a small number in 3 years time, and that should build up year by year and certainly by 5 year there should be quite a few reappear," Gray said.

Gray said healthier parr with more muscle have up to a 90 percent survival rate once they are released into the wild.